CHRIS HUGHTON was today facing up to the biggest test of his Newcastle United managerial career as an alleged training ground bust-up threatened to derail the Magpies’ promotion challenge.

Newcastle were sheltered from the Tyneside goldfish bowl today in a Yorkshire hotel as they prepare to take on Doncaster Rovers in a crunch promotion battle at the Keepmoat Stadium.

But the game will now be played in front of the glare of the national media.

The Toon boss woke up to screaming headlines in the national papers citing a fight between two of his United stars in Steven Taylor and Andy Carroll, with the scrap understood to have left both players injured.

Taylor, who was on the brink of a return from a knee problem, is out for the rest of the season with a broken jaw, while Geordie boy Carroll is thought to have hurt his hand during the alleged brawl which is said to have happened on Sunday after a light “warming down” exercise at the club’s Benton base as the players were taking ice baths.

Although the 15-goal striker is in the best form of his fledgling Toon career, it remains to be seen whether Carroll will still line up against Donny.

However, while the rest of the United squad were scheduled for a later start yesterday before setting off for Doncaster, both Shola Ameobi and Nile Ranger were put through their paces in an extra training session at Benton. Either of these two strikers could come into the equation if Hughton opts to pull Carroll.

That was the United boss’ approach back in December when he left the England under-21 striker in the stands after an incident in a Bigg Market nightclub.

Then he dropped Carroll from the side that beat Coventry City.

But the big striker worked his way back to form to such an extent that he courted the attention of England boss Fabio Capello, who was assessing his chances of participating at senior level during the Three Lions’ next European Championship qualifying campaign for the 2012 tournament in Poland and Ukraine.

Hughton and United remained tight-lipped on the whole affair today, refusing to comment.

But it is understood that while Taylor is recovering from a broken jaw, a full internal investigation was taking place behind the scenes at St James’ Park.

And the Chronicle has also been informed that club owner Mike Ashley has been less than impressed with reports of the alleged incident.